Ember Warns Drax Carbon Removal Project Could Exceed Entire Carbon Capture Budget

A new analysis by energy think tank Ember has raised serious concerns over the cost and effectiveness of a proposed carbon removal project at Drax Power Plant. 

The study has estimated that bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) at the North Yorkshire facility could require up to £30 billion in subsidies, a figure greater than the UK’s entire national budget for carbon capture.

Drax already receives an average of £744 million per year in public support for burning biomass, payments which are scheduled to continue until 2031, though they will begin to taper from 2027. 

If BECCS is approved, the company would continue to receive subsidies for burning imported woody biomass alongside additional payments for carbon removals. Ember has argued that these removals are far from guaranteed, citing uncertainties around carbon reabsorption through replanting and the long timelines required for forests to recapture emissions.

Ember also pointed to previous findings that Drax is the UK’s largest single emitter, noting that burning woody biomass releases more carbon than coal. The plant has faced longstanding controversy over its sourcing practices, with allegations that wood has been taken from primary forests in North America. 

Independent bodies have recommended a shift towards domestic sourcing, but Ember highlighted that this would be difficult to achieve given that more than 99% of Drax’s feedstock is currently imported.

“Committing to funding BECCS at Drax would be an extremely risky business,” said Ember analyst, Josie Murdoch. “With the clock ticking on cutting emissions, the UK doesn’t have time or money to waste on carbon removals tech that may never deliver”.

Ember’s review of UK carbon removal projects in development found that no technology has yet demonstrated effective carbon removal at commercial scale or at an affordable cost. This raises concerns because the government’s Carbon Budget relies on carbon removal in the power sector from the 2030s to offset emissions that are difficult to eliminate.

The report argued that proven, low-cost solutions are available now and could deliver substantial emissions reductions this decade, including scaling up wind and solar generation, accelerating the installation of heat pumps, expanding electric vehicle deployment, and investing in grid infrastructure. 

Ember’s analysis suggested that redirecting the estimated BECCS subsidies towards the Boiler Upgrade Scheme could help one in six households in England and Wales install an air source heat pump, delivering immediate and measurable emissions cuts.

“We know we need to cut emissions rapidly in the next decade, and fortunately we have effective and low cost tools to do that,” Murdoch added.

The findings are likely to intensify debate over the role of BECCS in the UK’s net-zero strategy. While supporters argue that carbon capture is essential to offset hard-to-abate emissions, critics warn that the technology remains unproven at scale and risks diverting billions of pounds away from more reliable renewable energy and efficiency measures. 

With the government’s climate plans heavily dependent on carbon removals in the 2030s, the question of whether to commit to BECCS at Drax may prove critical for both public finances and the UK’s ability to meet its emissions targets.

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